Special Seminar: How do we successfully interface different materials with the body?

ZOOM LINK
Meeting ID: 977 7792 8244
Passcode: 813105

Bioelectronic implantable technologies hold the key to reaching and treating many hard-to-access and transient diseases. However, interfacing these devices and structures with the body is challenging due to our innate immune response to foreign materials. Here, we will examine methods that the body uses to interface highly dissimilar materials to develop a series of design criteria for implant integration. Then, we will discuss the application of these principles for the long-term integration of bioelectronic monitoring devices. These advances hold the potential to drive the next generation of implantable technologies for creating seamless interfaces with the body.

About the Speaker(s)

Alexander Boys
Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology Research Fellow, University of Cambridge

Alex is an HFSP research fellow at the University of Cambridge. He began his research career at Lehigh University, where he received his BS in materials science and engineering. Through an NSF REU scholarship, Alex developed FDA-approved bioglass compositions for use in integrative dental implants. Alex proceeded to Cornell University, where he received his MS and PhD in materials science and engineering. Through an NIH F31 fellowship and an NSF EAPSI fellowship, he studied the characterization and tissue engineering of soft tissue-to-bone attachments and the mechanisms by which the body interfaces different materials systems. Upon completing his PhD, Alex moved overseas to the University of Cambridge through a cross-disciplinary fellowship from the HFSP to study the development of bioelectronic implants for interfacing with hard-to-access areas of the nervous system. Alex currently works at the University of Cambridge, where he is an associate of Jesus College and a research fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. In his spare time, Alex enjoys climbing on top of tall things (hiking), reading science fiction, and watching or (poorly) playing various sports.

Contact

For more information, contact Ashley Parker at ashley.l.parker@dartmouth.edu.